A boy with autism and a girl with Asperger's go out on a date...

edited 6th Apr '12 1:00:44 PM by snowfoxofdeath

They go out feeling a little adventurous for the day — wandering the city aimlessly until they find something interesting.

You are aware that Asperger's is autism, right?

^ Well, yeah, I meant "autism" as in what they call "low-functioning".

People have personalities beyond their neuroses. Hopefully.

I was going to post something more elaborate, but I think I'll just let the Shitpost Squad deal with this thread.

How old are they?

What kind of low-functioning autism? The 'smart but severely impaired' kind, or the mentally retarded plus autistic kind? If the latter, that might have Unfortunate Implications.

Anyway, from my own experiences as a high-functioning autistic (not Asperger's but pretty similar), I find spending time with low functioning autistics much less awkward than spending time with neurotypicals. Often I sort of 'tune in' to them and start communicating mostly on their level - so I'd be fairly quiet, or maybe echoing whatever sounds they make, but with no sense of awkwardness. In fact, for once I feel like this is a person I understand, who makes sense to me. They often strike me as having all my quirks Up To Eleven, so even though to outsiders we look very different, to me there's this sharp sense of recognition.

Did you think of how they met? Because maybe they met through an autism support group/social group or they could be neighbors whose parents know each other? I'm not sure where they would go on a date, but both of them would be likely to have some kind of passionate interest, perhaps they could have the same interest? Because I've heard that's how a lot of people on the autism spectrum find friends is through their interests.

edited 10th Feb '11 7:08:22 AM by Rainbow

^ If they share the same interest, they'd probably go somewhere relating to that interest.

People have personalities beyond their neuroses. Hopefully.

True, but take this into account: from my personal experience, I find that a neurosis often makes up a significant part of a person's personality. Luke Jackson stated in his book Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence ([[{{Long Title] hell-looo!]]) that if a medicine for AS was invented, he wouldn't take it, because it has defined his personality and life quite a bit (I sympathize). I'm going by the fifth definition here, mind.

Which is not to say that a character's personality can boil down to just "has [insert autistic disorder here]". Autists usually have a strong fixation, but this one varies wildly from person to person.

They're both 17. The boy has been home-schooled ever since diagnosis and his only contact with the outside world has been therapy, the Internet, and watching the elementary school from over his fence. The girl goes there after school to go on the swings alone, and he started talking to her once he got the courage. They've seen each other at the clinic a few times and he always thought she was cute. Finally, they decided they liked each other and sneak out while their parents are at work. The boy is fascinated by physics and the girl is a writer.

They should get in awkward silences and a lot of hand holding, and at the worst possible moment, something loud and unexpected happens, like a marti gra parade.